Game
Play:
Dealing
1. First diamond starts the deal for each round.
2. Cards are to be shuffled facedown with the player
on the right being offered a cut. A cut must be
at least 4 cards. The player to the right must cut.
The cards must remain on the table. Neither the
top nor the bottom cards may remain the same as
before the cut.
3. Cards must be dealt facedown and are to be dealt
in a clockwise direction only.
4. None of the first 4 or the last 4 cards may be
placed in the kitty.
5. No consecutive cards may be placed in the kitty.
6. Upon completion of the deal, all players must
count cards received (facedown) to ensure that they
have received 12.
7. Immediately upon the completion of the deal,
a bid blind must be placed on the table. Blinds
will remain up until the bid-winner discards his/her
kitty and plays his/her 1st card.
8. No player may pick up his/her cards until the
bid blind is in place.
9. In the event of a misdeal, the dealer re-deals.
A misdeal is defined as:
a. Any player not receiving 12 cards.
b. A card being exposed during the deal
c. Any of the first 4 or the last 4 cards being
placed in the kitty.
Bidding
1. In addition to Pass, bids range in number from 3 - 7 for 5 -card kitty and 4 - 7 for 6 - card kitty with the same 3 designations for every number. Those designations are::
A. Cards: The player intends to use a trump, the suit to be declared if he/she wins the bid with high cards winning. This designation must be preceded by a valid number (3 - 7) for 5 - card kitty or (4 - 7) for 6 - card kitty.
B. Special: The player intends to use a trump, the suit to be declared if he/she wins the bid with low cards winning. This designation must be preceded by a valid number (3 - 7) for 5 - card kitty or (4 - 7) for 6 - card kitty.
C.No-Trump: The player intends to play without a trump with orientation to be declared if he/she wins the bid. This designation must be preceded by a valid number (3 - 7) for 5 - card kitty or (4 - 7) for 6 - card kitty.
D. Pass: May be bid at any time unless you have dealt and the other three bidders have already passed. At that time, the dealer must bid the minimum bid of 3 Cards, 3 Special, 3 No-Trump or above for 5 - card kitty. 4 Cards, 4 Special or 4 No-Trump or above for 6 - card kitty.
2. Bidding is progressive. Cards and Special bids
have equal value. In order to bid higher (“take
out” a Cards or Special bid), a No-Trump of
the same number or any bid of a higher number must
be bid.
A.Valid bids for 6 - card kitty games are Pass, 4 Cards or 4 Special, 4 No-Trump, 5 Cards or 5 Special, 5 No-Trump, 6 Cards or 6 Special, 6 No-Trump, 7 Cards or 7 Special and 7 No-Trump. Note: 3 Cards or 3 Special, & 3 No-Trump are also legal for 5 - card kitty games.
B. There are no other valid bids.
3. The bidding number indicates the least number
of books (tricks) above 6 that the bidding team
will contract to win. For example, a bid of 5 is
a promise to win (make) at least 11 books (6+5)
as there are 13 books total (12 tricks and the discarded
kitty). The discarded kitty counts as the bidding
teams 1st book. Using this system, obviously, 7
is the highest bidding number.
4. After the bidding is complete, the highest bidder
wins the bid and is awarded the kitty.
5. The kitty will not be exposed (sported) on any
bid.
6. The player to the left of the dealer begins the
bidding process. Each successive player will either
bid Pass or a higher valid bid of at least 4 Cards,
4 Special or 4 No-Trump.
7. All bids must be audible to all players.
8. Players may only ask the opposing team to recant
the order of bids.
9. Players may ask to see the score sheet at any
time. Other than placing bids, there should be no
conversation after the cards have been dealt.
Playing
the Game
1. Play begins with the bid winner leading (first
card played) the card of his/her choice. The bid
blind is removed. All other subsequent players must
follow suit if possible.
2. All cards must be played in turn. After the lead
card, all cards are played clockwise until all four
players have played on a book. The winner of that
book, leads (plays first) on the next book. You
may only play out of turn on the last book.
3. Each player should be able to view each card
played.
4. Each book should be collected and closed (turned)
prior to the lead of the successive book.
5. All cards must remain in your hand, unexposed,
until it is your turn to play. Failing to do so
may be considered a renege and result in the loss
of that particular hand.
6. All cards board themselves. You may not expose
a card and play a different card.
7. A trump always beats any non-trump cards played
in a book (keeping in mind trump only applies in
a Cards or Special bid) regardless of the trump’s
value. If there is more than one trump played, then
the highest-valued trump based on the orientation
of the bid being played will win the book. If no
one plays a trump or if trump is led, then the highest-valued
card of the suit led (again, depending on the orientation
of the bid) wins the book. The winner of each book
leads the next card.
8. If the winning bid is a No-Trump, the highest-valued
card in any suit led wins the book.
9. Jokers have no value when playing a No-Trump
bid.
10. In cases where the bidder has a Joker (or Jokers)
playing a No-Trump bid, he/she must place any Jokers
in the discard pile (kitty). Failing to do so will
be considered a renege and result in the loss of
that particular hand.
11. Non-bidding players playing a No-Trump hand
must discard any Joker on their turn, at the first
opportunity, when a player is unable to follow the
lead suit. Failure to do so will be considered a
renege and result in the loss of that particular
hand.
12. All hands should be played out completely.
13. If a non-bidding player playing a No-Trump bid
leads a Joker, the suit of the card played by the
player to the immediate left becomes the lead suit.
All subsequent players must follow suit if possible.
14. Books must be stacked neatly and separately.
One player should keep all of the books for each
team.
15. Reneges: In order to call a renege, you must
state “I am calling a renege.” There
should be no other conversation during the hand.
Calling a renege which did not actually occur may
be considered a renege and may result in the loss
of that particular hand at the value of the bid
or score earned at the time of the renege called.
Card values
1. Cards: Big Joker, Little Joker, Ace, King, Queen,
Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2
2. Special: Big Joker, Little Joker, Ace, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen and King.
3. No-trump (uptown): Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.
4. No-trump (downtown): Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,
9, and 10, Jack, Queen, and King.
Scoring
1. If the bid winners make their bid they receive
the points that result from that hand. If they do
not make their bid (get set), then their opponents
receive the points that result from that hand.
2. No-Trump bids are worth twice the amount of bid
points as trump bids (Cards or Special) of the same
number.
3. Bidding teams that make a bid will receive what
they make on any bid. For example, if the bid is
5 Cards but the bidding team turns 12 books (11
books plus the discarded kitty) they will be awarded
6 points.
4. Non-bidding teams will receive 1 point for every
book turned in excess of 6 on a Trump bid. For example,
if the bid was 4 cards and the non-bidding team
turns 7 books the non-bidding team will be awarded
5 points (4 points for the bid +1 point for the
“odd” book = 5 points). ** Odd points
cannot be made on no-trump bids.
Rules
of Conduct
Violation of the following rules will result in
the loss of the hand being played:
1. Playing out of turn.
2. Bidding out of turn.
3. Placing more than or less than 6 cards in the
discard pile and leading a card.
4. Going through or exposing turned books.
5. Talking across the board.
6. One player or one team having too few or too
many cards at the end of a hand.
7. Giving signals (verbal or physical).
8. Looking at or exposing the kitty before the bidding
process is complete.
9. Reneging (not following suit) when you have that
suit in your hand.
10. Mistakenly accusing an opposing player of reneging.
Please
observe common courtesy during the tournament!!!!!!!
Please:
• Refrain from sideline discussions while
other teams are playing.
• Do not approach another table while other
teams are playing.
• Keep noise to a minimum
• Do not eat in the tournament area
• Remove and if needed discard any personal
items upon leaving a table.
Please
note:
• Rulings may be made to the greatest detriment
of the offending team up to, and including, disqualification.
• Tournament officials have the final say
on all rules and procedures.
